Ro Khanna Defies Elon Musk Lawsuit Threat Over USAID Cuts, Citing 4.5 Million Children at Risk

California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna refused to stand down Thursday after Elon Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla founder described as the world's first trillionaire, threatened legal action over Khanna's claims that the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development may have contributed to mass civilian deaths overseas. Speaking to Fox News Digital outside the U.S. Capitol, Khanna — a rumored 2028 presidential candidate — said he would not be intimidated or silenced. The confrontation marks a sharp escalation between a high-profile progressive lawmaker and the architect of the federal government's most aggressive spending reduction effort in recent memory.

The Spending Cut at the Center of the Clash

Musk personally oversaw efforts to cut waste, fraud, and abuse from U.S. programs during the early months of the second Trump administration, with USAID a central target. By March of last year, the agency had eliminated roughly 83% of its programs, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Critics of the cuts, including Khanna, argued that the reductions swept up life-saving humanitarian programs alongside genuinely wasteful spending. Defenders of the cuts — Musk and many conservatives among them — pointed to outlays they viewed as indefensible, including spending on projects in Peru and an Iraqi children's program.

Khanna's Claim and the Lancet Citation

In a recent podcast appearance, Khanna drew a direct line between the USAID reductions and projected mortality, saying Musk may have "sentenced" 4.5 million children around the world to death by dismantling the agency. He attributed the figure to a study from the Lancet Group, a medical journal. Khanna also contrasted that number against a separate figure — that Musk's ventures had created 4,400 millionaires — framing the tradeoff in explicitly human terms.

Musk Responds, Threatens Suit

Musk responded on X, the social media platform he owns, with a post reading "Time to sue this liar," and separately called for Khanna to face imprisonment. It remains unclear what legal theory or damages Musk would pursue against a sitting member of Congress for statements made in his official capacity.

Khanna Holds His Ground

Khanna, speaking outside the Capitol, was direct about his assessment of the legal risk. He said he liked his odds and, in a pointed rhetorical flourish, noted that Grok — the artificial intelligence chatbot built into Musk's own X platform — had indicated Musk did not have a viable case. The exchange underscored a broader dynamic Khanna identified explicitly: the willingness of individuals with extreme wealth to use the threat of litigation against elected officials as a tool of political pressure.

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